13 Video Doorbells Without Subscription (2023 Buyers Guide)

The Hidden Cost of Video Doorbells

If you are thinking of buying a video doorbell (also known as a doorbell camera or smart doorbell), you may end up spending much more than you intended.

And the reason for that is that with most video doorbells, if you want to use all the features, you must sign up for a monthly subscription. These subscriptions can be anywhere from $3 to $15 per month.

Over the course of two years, you could end up paying more in subscriptions than you paid for the video doorbell itself.

What Do You Get With A Video Doorbell Subscription?

Most video doorbells detect when someone is at the door and take a short video of up to 2 minutes. That video is then uploaded to the cloud, where you can later view it.

The ability to upload captured video to the cloud is what you pay for with a video doorbell subscription. Without a subscription, you will often get limited functionality: you get notified when there is movement at your front door and you will be able to view the live feed from the doorbell camera, but that’s all.

Without a subscription, you may not get customized motion zones. This is the ability to tell the camera which areas you want to use for motion detection.

Image credit: Ring.com

For example, if your house is less than 30 feet from a road, you can tell the camera not to detect motion more than 20 feet from the house – that will avoid false alerts when the camera detects a passing car.

Another advanced feature you may not get without a subscription is Intelligent Object Recognition. This is the ability of the doorbell camera to distinguish between a person and a cat wandering by the front door or a car passing by on the road (more about this later).

Do You Need A Video Doorbell Subscription?

So the question arises: do you even need a video doorbell subscription?

The answer is no – there are numerous brands of video doorbells that use SD cards and store doorbell video locally. That means that at any given moment, you can view stored doorbell video from several days ago.

However, these smart doorbells that give you local video storage and no monthly subscription may not provide Intelligent Object Recognition (IOR).

This is because the software used for IOR is often run on the servers of the doorbell manufacturer. And naturally, they charge for that service.

Why Video Storage Is Important

So why is storage of doorbell video footage so important?

Well, the obvious reason is that if someone calls by and you miss the alert, you won’t be able to see who it was. Without video storage, you can only view the live feed in real-time.

Another reason is package theft or porch piracy.

If someone steals an Amazon or Fed Ex parcel from your porch, you’ll have proof (in the form of stored video) that you never received the package.

That video footage could be crucial in getting the business to replace your lost package.

7 Must-Have Features In A Video Doorbell

It’s easy to find video doorbells without subscription. But will those doorbells give you what you need in a smart doorbell?

With many big-brand video doorbells, 90% of the smart functions are locked away behind a monthly subscription.

And that’s why it’s important when choosing a video doorbell with no subscription, to make sure that you’ll be getting the minimum requirements in a video doorbell.

Before buying my own smart doorbell (Eufy Wi-Fi Video Doorbell, 2K Resolution), I did extensive research. I came to the conclusion that there are certain features you must have in a smart doorbell, whether it is subscription-free or not.

Here are the seven minimum requirements you should be looking for in a smart doorbell:

1. High Definition video (HD): 1080 (1920 x 1080 pixels) is the industry standard for crisp HD digital video that doesn’t gobble up your storage space
2. Night vision: this allows your doorbell camera to capture footage in near or total darkness.
3. Two-way audio: you must be able to talk with the person on your doorstep
4. Mobile app: the doorbell must have a mobile app that works with iOS and Android
5. Motion detection: the doorbell must be able to detect motion on your porch and send you instant push notifications
6. Live feed: your doorbell must send live video footage to the app
7. Video playback: you must be able to play back stored video.

What Is Intelligent Object Recognition?

Intelligent Object Recognition is an AI-powered feature that is able to distinguish between people, animals, vehicles, packages, and faces.

This is vital in a smart doorbell because you don’t want to be notified every time a stray cat wanders past your front door. That can quickly get annoying and become a time waster.

The advanced software required for Intelligent Object Recognition is often run on the manufacturer’s servers. And that’s why this is often a feature that requires a monthly subscription.

But you can still find doorbells that will give you at least one of these intelligent features, usually person recognition, without a monthly subscription.

Thirteen Video Doorbells Without Subscription

Here are the best video doorbells without subscription. These are smart doorbells (listed in no particular order) that give you all the features you need in a video doorbell without a subscription.

Image credit: Lorex.com

Image: Kasa Smart